


You Raise Me Up

by UncommonVillian



Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (Disney Movies), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncommonVillian/pseuds/UncommonVillian
Summary: After Astrid's passing, Merida vows to help Hiccup back on his feet and help him with his children. However, there is something brewing between the two, but can they face this struggle without feeling like they're betraying Astrid?
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa (Disney)/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Merida (Disney), Light Fury/Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

_“When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary. When troubles come and my heart burdened me. Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, until you come and sit awhile with me._

_You raise me up so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas. I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up to more than I can be.”_

_~You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban_

Hiccup was sitting in the living room adjusting the spring in his prosthetic. It has been creaking a lot lately, but with everything going on he just didn’t have the time to work on it. He dripped a little oil onto the spring and stood up, putting pressure on the mechanic and heard less creaking. He sighed with relief, now he could go about the house without disrupting the kids. They needed their rest with everything going on.

It’s been a few months since Astrid died and he was still feeling the pain from it. Sure, he had his support from everyone, the village, his friends, most importantly his best friend Merida, but he was still hurting. However, Merida agreed to stay with Hiccup for a little while to help him with the kids and get him back on his proverbial feet. She knew him better than anyone and knew that he needed time to heal on his own so she would take care of the kids.

That was the only real moment he felt any relief, when he heard the children laughing and playing with Merida. She would rough house with them, take them horseback riding, help them in archery, everything the two of them did when they were younger. It was like those days came back, the days him and Merida would go on adventures with Rapunzel and Jack. He missed them, but they all had to grow up sometime. He was marrying Astrid, Merida was taking on the roles as a leader in training, Rapunzel married Eugene and Jack and Elsa were getting together. He missed those days, but the fact that the kids were laughing with Merida made him feel the joy he used to feel in those days.

The door swung open and Merida was carrying Nufflink and Zephyr over her shoulders, roaring like a bear. Hiccup looked over at them and laughed heartily.

“Papa, help!” Zephyr giggled. “We’ve been captured by a bear!”

“Aye, and this bear is not going to give them up!” Merida roared.

“Me not going down like this!” Nufflink shouted. “Me going to win!”

Hiccup chuckled, walked over and took Nufflink from Merida and said, “Trust me, kiddo. This is a fight you won’t win.”

“Aye, listen to your Pa! I whipped him plenty of times when we were little!" Merida roared as she stomped into the living room. She knelt down and softly planted Zephyr on her feet as Hiccup did with Nufflink and told them, “Now go wash up, you two. Once Toothless and Light Fury arrive, we need to head to Arendelle.”

“Okay, Auntie Merida!” the kids cheered and ran for the washroom.

Hiccup only chuckled and shook his head as he watched the kids run for the washroom. He looked over at Merida, who was brushing herself off, and said, “Hey, thanks for that.”

“For what?” Merida asked, not looking at him.

“For everything. For being there for the kids, for helping me out, for-”

Merida cut him off with a hard tap on his forehead. He groaned and rubbed his forehead before giving her an annoyed glare. She only glared back at him as she crossed her arms and asked him, “Hiccup Haddock, when have I ever denied you?”

He was about to retort, but he realized that she never did. She was brash and rude to him, but they were always there for each other. She was his best friend after all. He loved Jack and Rapunzel, but the only other person he was ever extremely close was, aside from Astrid, was Merida. She understood him and gave him far more respect than anyone ever had before. He supported her desire to fulfill her dreams and fought with her for her independence. They never stopped being there for each other.

He sighed and said, “You’re right. But still, with everything that’s happened, let me at least thank you for the kids.”

Merida smiled and sighed, “Fine, I’ll let you have that. You’re welcome.”

“They love having you around, you know.”

“I know, and I love being around them.” Merida looked him up and down and told him, “Now you need to get cleaned up. There is no way Elsa’s gonna let you in the castle looking like that.”

Hiccup didn’t think he was that bad, then he looked down at his hands and saw that he spilled oil on his hands.

“Heh, I guess you’re right.” he laughed. “I’ll be back.”

As Hiccup left, the kids returned to the living room with Merida.

“All clean!” Nufflink cheered.

“Oh no, you’re not getting off that easily.” Merida said as she knelt down next to him and checked his hair. It was clean. His teeth, clean. His clothes, clean. He was usually defiant, but he really did clean himself up nicely. She cupped his cheeks and said, “Good boy! You look really nice!”

“Me want to look nice for Auntie Elsa.”

“And she’ll be so proud of you.” Merida then flashed them a mischievous grin and said, “Then you two and your cousin Noelle can run off into the village and raise kain all you want.”

“Yay!” the children cheered.

“I heard that!” Hiccup called from the washroom. “You two are to not leave the castle without an adult, understood? And don’t be a bad influence on your cousin!”

“Awwww!” the two whined.

“And don’t give them any ideas, Merida!”

“Oh you’re no fun!” Merida chuckled. She looked back at the kids and winked at them, giving them a sign that she was going to let them go. She stood up and said, “Okay, I’m gonna keep an eye out for the dragons. You two wait here.”

“Okay.” Zephyr replied. However, she had something on her mind and she needed to let it out. Just as Merida gripped the door handle, Zephyr asked, “Auntie Merida, can I ask you a question?”

Merida turned back and walked back to them. Kneeling down in front of her, Merida replied, “Of course you can, sweetie. You can ask me anything.”

Zephyr looked back at Nufflink, who was nervously looking at her. Mimicking the same nervousness, she looked back at Merida and asked, “Do you have to go back to DunBroch?”

Merida raised an eyebrow in confusion and asked, “Why do you ask?”

“We...We don’t want you to go.”

Merida’s heart sank when Zephyr said that. The fact that the girl’s eyes were watering didn’t help either. She tried to reassure them with a smile and brushed her fingers across Zephyr’s cheek and told her, “Oh lassy, don’t worry. I’ll be back. I always come back, don’t I?

“But not to stay.” Zephyr sobbed. “When Mama died, Papa was always sad. When you came here, he was happy again. We don’t want to see him sad anymore.”

“Well of course he was sad, Zephyr. He loved your Mama very much. You should be sad too.”

“We are, but not when you’re here. We miss Mama, but she begged us to make sure Papa was always happy. We can’t do it without you.”

Merida couldn’t help but think of the sight of Astrid’s lifeless form on her bed when she finally arrived with Rapuznel and Eugene when she died. They raced as fast as they could so they could say goodbye, but it was too late. Jack, Elsa, Noelle, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were there, comforting Hiccup and the kids. Little Noelle was crying and hugging Hiccup to comfort him and Kristoff and Anna consoled Zephyr and Nufflink. Elsa couldn’t stop crying in Jack’s arms. When they arrived, Rapuznel couldn’t even stay in the house. She was so close to fainting that Eugene carried her out. And Merida, she slowly approached the bed and collapsed to the floor, crying her eyes out. She didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Her and Astrid were close, almost as close as blood sisters. Now, her sister was gone. She finally climbed to her feet and knelt next to the bed, holding onto Astrid’s hand. There was still warmth in her fingers so she had just missed her passing, hurting Merida even more.

She then looked at Hiccup, his eyes staring lifeless at her. He was broken and even Noelle, who could brighten anyone’s day, couldn’t help him. With him like this, she felt like she was dying as well. He had never had that look before. He was lost.

Merida looked down at Astrid, the look on her face had nothing but peace on it. Through her sobs, she promised that she would look after Hiccup for her. She promised that she would look after him and the kids.

Breaking the flashback, she felt her eyes water and she rubbed them.

“Auntie Merida, are you alright?” Nufflink asked.

“Yeah, yeah, just got something in my eye.” she lied. Once she was done, she told the kids, “Listen, I would love to stay here with you guys, I really would. But, I am the Princess of DunBroch, I have a responsibility to my people. One day, you’ll understand.”

Zephyr thought for a second then suggested, “Well, what if you married Papa?”

That question struck a nerve with Merida. True that Zephyr was a child, and a smart one at that, but she didn’t understand that that’s not how marriages work. Not only that, Astrid died three months ago so that question was in really bad taste. Not only that, Merida fought against her parents wishes to marry her off to other clans so she was in a rough bind.

However, Merida had to calm down and she needed to explain, “Zephyr, that’s not how adults work.”

“Why not? Don’t you love Papa?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then why not marry him?”

“Because that’s not how things work!” Merida finally had enough. She stood up and told them, “We’re done talking about this! Now I need to go outside!”

The two of them looked up at her in fear. She stormed around and stomped for the door, then she stopped.

She realized what she had just done.

Turning around, she looked back at the two, who were still looking up at her and quietly said, “Zephyr, Nufflink…” She knelt down and held her arms out and they ran into her embrace. She sobbed, “I am so, so sorry!”

“It’s okay, Auntie.” Nufflink cried.

“Yeah, we’ll always love you.” Zephyr added.

“And I love you too.” Merida let them go and wiped their tears. She sniffed and wiped her own tears and told them, “Listen, I do love your Pa, but it’s a different kind of love. We’ve been best friends since we were really little, but your Papa loved your Mama very dearly. Their love is different from the love he and I have. He’s like a brother to me. Do you two understand?”

“I guess.” Zephyr shyly replied.

Nufflink hugged her again and said, “But me no want you to go.”

“Sweetheart, I have to.” She sat down on the floor and placed him on her lap and said, “Look, I don’t have to go back to Scotland for another three months. Until then, let's make the best of it, like making your Pa’s life a nightmare!”

“Yeah!” both kids cheered.

“C’mon, let’s go wait for Toothless and Light Fury!”

“Yeah!”

Merida stood up and lifted Nufflink with one hand as Zephyr climbed onto her back and was carried out.

Unbeknownst to them, Hiccup heard the whole thing. He stood in the washroom, his back flat against the wall as he stared into space.

The dragons flew over Arendelle and down towards the fjord. The people down below didn’t panic due to seeing more and more dragons after Hiccup and the Vikings arrived years ago with them, but that didn’t mean the people wouldn’t be on edge. However, the staff at Arendelle Castle were more accustomed to them so when Toothless, Light Fury and the Night Lights landed in the courtyard, no one freaked out.

Hiccup rode with Nufflink on Toothless and Merida rode with Zephyr on Light Fury. About a year after the two met, Light Fury allowed Merida to ride her, much to everyone’s surprise, Toothless especially. However, since Merida lives in DunBroch, the two didn’t have much bonding time together so moments like this were special to the both of them.

Hiccup jumped off Toothless and looked around, noticing only the staff, who the Night Lights were playing with, but no one else. He looked over atr Merida and asked, “Where is everyone?”

Merida jumped off of Light Fury with Zephyr and said, “Maybe they’re inside.”

Kai, the head of the staff, hobbled over with one of the Night Lights clinging to and playfully nipping his leg and said, “Queen Anna, ow, said that she went to meet up with her sister on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Ow. She said in the mean ti-EY-me, help yourself to the ballroom.”

Much to Kai’s relief, Light Fury snorted her youngling off of his leg, making his siblings chortle and the children laugh.

“Hiccup! Merida!” a woman cheerfully shouted.

Merida and Hiccup saw Rapunzel and Eugene came up on Maximus.

“Punz!” both Hiccup and Merida cheered and went over to them. 

Eugene dismounted and helped Rapunzel down. All of them greeted and hugged each other happily, all carrying on.

Rapuznel happily bounced and asked Eugene, “Can we tell them? Please tell me we can tell them!”

Eugene held her shoulders and asked, “Don’t you want the others to hear too?”

“I can tell them when they get here! I can’t wait!”

Eugene chuckled and said, “Fine, fine. Tell them.”

Before Hiccup or Merida could ask, Rapuznel happily screamed, “I’m pregnant!”

Merida gasped and happily said, “Oh, Punzie! That’s wonderful!”

“Yeah, that’s great!” Hiccup chimed in. He hugged Rapuznel then shook Eugene’s hand and said, “Congratulations, brother.”

“Thanks, kid.” Eugene said as he rustled Hiccup’s hair. His smile faded a bit and he asked Hiccup, “How are you holding up?”

Hiccup’s smile also faded and he said, “I’ve been better. I’m more worried about the kids.”

All of them looked over to see the kids playing with the dragons, not even aware that Eugene and Rapunzel had arrived.

However, the moment was spoiled when Merida smirked and punched Hiccup in the arm, saying, “Yeah, but I’ve been keeping them in check.”

“Ow.” Hiccup groaned. Then he looked over to see the children chase the Night Lights into the castle, earning the ire of not only him, but of Toothless and Light Fury. All three knew how destructive all five of them could be. Hiccup ran in with the dragons, shouting, “No, get out here now!”

With Merida, Rapunzel and Eugene alone, Eugene asked Merida, “How’s he holding up?”

Merida sighed and said, “He’s doing okay, but he’s still hurt.”

“I’m sure. We all miss her.”

“Yeah.” Rapunzel sadly agreed. She looked at Merida, took her hand and said, “Thank you for looking after him.”

Merida turned and smiled at her for a moment, then said, “When everyone else gets here, I have something I need to tell you all.”

They were interrupted by the sound of a young girl cheering, “Auntie Rapunzel!”

Everyone smiled because they all knew who it was. Everyone looked to see the rest of their “family” arrive, Anna and Kristoff riding on Sven, Jack flying on the wind and Elsa riding on Nokk with Noelle. Without waiting for Elsa’s help when Nokk stopped, Noelle jumped off and ran up to the trio.

“Auntie!” she cheered again. “Uncle Flynn! Auntie Merida!”

“Come here, you little bugger!” Eugene smiled as he knelt down and held his arms out and she ran right into them. He picked her up, kissed her cheek and asked, “How’ve you been, Snowflake?”

“Great, Uncle Flynn!” Noelle said. “Auntie Honeymaren has been showing me how to fish!”

“That’s great!” he said. He turned back to everyone with Rapunzel and Merida and hugged Elsa, asking, “How are you guys?”

“We’ve been terrific, Eugene.” Elsa replied. She took Noelle from him so they could all hug and greet. When she hugged Merida, she asked, “How is everything?”

“Me, I’m fine. Hiccup and the kids, well…” Merida turned to listen to the sound of crashing in the castle. Hiccup and the dragons were still chasing the kids. She turned back to everyone else and said, “Listen, this is between us and us alone.”

“What’s wrong?” Kristoff asked.

Merida pressed her lips for a second, but she told them, “Before we left, the children said they wanted me to stay with them.”

Jack smirked and said, “Well yeah, you’re Merida. Kids love you.” He looked down at Noelle in Elsa’s arms and asked, “Right, Snowflake?”

“Yup!” she smiled.

Merida smiled at the little girl, but told them, “They want me to marry Hiccup.”

“Wait, what?” Anna gasped.

“I know! I told them that it wasn’t possible!”

Jack asked, “Isn’t it a little early? I mean, Astird’s been gone for only a few months.”

Elsa shook her head and told him, “Jack, they’re only children. They don’t know any better.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of more crashing.

Anna groaned, “Oh no. I better get in there before they destroy my home.”

“Let’s go inside.” Rapunzel agreed. She perked up and said, “I have something to tell everyone!”

While most of the group walked in, Merida and Elsa, who was still holding Noelle, stayed outside.

With a smile on her face, Elsa asked, “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

“Yep.” Merida snickered. She looked at Elsa with a raised eyebrow and asked, “How did you know?”

Elsa smiled and looked down at Noelle, saying, “Lucky guess.”

Merida reached and brushed Noelle’s hair, making the girl giggle with delight.

The older women then looked each other in the eyes and Elsa asked, “What do you really think about what the children said?”

Merida looked back to see if anyone was listening, then told her, “I did the worst thing that I could have ever done.”

Elsa sneered and asked her, “Merida, Princess of DunBroch, what did you do?”

“I...I yelled at them.”

Elsa gasped, “Merida!”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Why did you yell at them?” Noelle asked innocently.

Merida told her, “Oh sweetheart, it was an accident. I really didn’t mean to.”

“But why did you?”

“I…” Merida stopped for a second, then gathered her thoughts. Finally, she told the two, “Because...I was scared for Hiccup.”

Elsa looked at her and asked, “What do you mean?”

Merida gave Elsa a few glances before asking, “Can we talk alone for a moment?”

Elsa nodded, knelt down to place Noelle on her feet and told her, “Noelle, go find your father, okay?”

“Okay!”

Elsa gave Noelle a kiss on the nose and the girl ran off, but not before hugging Merida. After the two parted, she ran into the castle.

Merida then asked Elsa, “Can I tell you a secret?”

Elsa replied, almost offensively, “Merida, of course you can. Why would you ever ask me that?”

“This is serious.” Merida then turned her back to Elsa and stood quietly. After what seemed like hours of absolute silence, Merida finally broke, “I love him.”

Elsa was confused by this. She said, “I know you do. Jack told me all about how the four of you were like when you were younger. I know you all love each other.”

“It’s not like that.”

Elsa pondered for a second, then it hit her. Merida meant it. She moaned, “Oh, Merida.”

“It just happened, okay? It’s not like I wanted to. I mean, he was in love with Astrid. Who am I to take that away from him?”

“But Merida, you held onto this all this time. You should have told someone.”

Merida scoffed and rolled her eyes and asked, “Who could I tell? Punz? Jack? They’d blabber to him eventually.”

“No they wouldn’t.” Elsa went up and placed a hand on Merida’s shoulder. She told her, “Merida, Jack once told me that he suspected that you had feelings for Hiccup.”

“Yeah? And how would he even know?”

“It’s Jack. You may have known him longer, but I married him. We both know how he is and he’s not stupid. He’s worried about you.”

Merida said nothing in response. Instead, she just stood silent. Elsa wanted to say more, but she didn’t know if it was wise for her to do so since Merida was an emotional wreck at the moment and when Merida is an emotional wreck, it’s not a good idea to push her. The only thing she could think to do was to at least calm her down.

Elsa could only tell her, “Look, you can’t have this right now. Let’s just go inside and celebrate with everyone. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.”

Merida glanced back at her, a hurt look on her face, and softly nodded. With that, they both walked into the castle to greet the waiting crowd.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I do apologize for taking so long to post this new chapter. I had it saved in my folder for the longest time and was kinda hesitant to post this because I wasn't sure how I felt about this, but after reading it over, I decided I couldn't do any better so I decided to swallow my pride and release it. You guys waited long enough and I want to get your feed back. I should also warn you, there will be some light sensuality in this chapter. You've been warned.
> 
> Anyways, I hope this was worth the wait. Again, please let me know what you think.

Hiccup was laying in his bed, but he could not fall asleep. It had been a month since he overheard his children asking Merida to stay with them. A month since they asked her if she could marry Hiccup. He didn’t know what to think about all of this, but it was plaguing his mind ever since and he was afraid of any outcomes. His children missed their mother, just like he missed her, but the fact that they asked Merida to stay and marry him worried him deeply. Were they that desperate to have a mother in the house that they asked his best friend to marry him? And he wasn’t upset with Merida snapping at them. How could he be? She must have been furious, thinking that Astrid could be replaced just like that? Both of them were extremely close, practically sisters so there was no doubt in Hiccup’s mind that Merida was upset by that question. She did make it up to them though at the party. She let Zephyr and Nufflink sneak off with Noelle and play in the village with the Night Lights, causing much mayhem. He knew Anna and Elsa wouldn’t be upset, but the people of Arendelle instantly blamed him and Jack. When their children ever got into trouble, the fathers always got the short end.

His thoughts then trailed when we first met Merida. Her and Rapunzel were already friends and she introduced the Scottish princess to him when he introduced them to Jack. Him and Jack had only recently met but they still made a great team and he wanted Rapuznel to meet him. From that day on, all four of them were an instant family. 

While she was a bit gruff with him, after a while Merida started to soften up to Hiccup. They spent their childhood years racing each other, Merida on her horse Angus and Hiccup on Toothless. Much to his surprise, Angus kept up well with Toothless and there were plenty of close calls, but Toothless would always win. It was friendly competition though and when he would win she’d congratulate him, sometimes with a friendly punch to the arm. He’s surprised that he hasn’t gotten a scar from the amount of times she punched him there and as they grew older, they got stronger. He wasn’t the scrawny child he was when they first met anymore. Now he was the Dragon King, the mighty viking warrior that championed enemies and fought back monsters of all kinds, including the Nightmare King himself with Jack, Rapunzel and Merida, yet Merida’s punches still hurt him. 

He was curious one day and wondered how she got stronger than him, so he followed her up the mountains outside DunBroch. He found her alone in this clearing, dressed only in her trousers, boots, bracers and a bandage wrapped around her...chest and her hair tied back. She must have already gotten started because when he found her, she was already drenched in sweat as she did her push ups. He didn’t realize how far behind he followed her until she counted up to one hundred and ninety out loud. After that, she jumped to her feet and instantly began shadow boxing. As she boxed, he noticed how well fit she was. Unlike him or Astrid, her abs were well toned along with the rest of her upper body. It’s not to say that him and Astrid weren't muscular in their own right, but Merida’s form was intimidating. She could probably wrestle a bear without issues.

Seeing Merida like that, he felt a burning inside himself, especially in between his legs. It was like how he felt when he saw Astrid working out, but when he saw Merida, it was stronger. He couldn’t believe how he felt when he’d watch Merida workout, feeling like his own body was betraying him. He was far from a lustful person, but with both Astrid and Merida, it was different. But when he sat there, watching Merida workout and feeling like he did, he felt like he was betraying Astrid. He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Even if it wasn’t out of lust, he still had to admire her figure and her strength. Eventually, he did pull himself from his spying and found the strength to get up and leave.

Yet, despite all of her strength, she would punch him in the arm, all the while being gentle with him. It wasn’t out of pity or condescension, but of pure care and friendship. Never once would she ever do anything to upset him intentionally and she put others before herself. She was also extremely smart, not only street smart but booksmart. Who knows how many times Rapunzel, Jack or him could have killed themselves if she wasn’t there. Her outdoors knowledge kept them from eating berries that were poison, avoiding skunks and groundhog holes, using the sun and stars for directions and kept them from getting into trouble in shady villages they visited on their adventures. She was fierce on the battlefield but caring to her friends and family. She was a true lionheart, possibly the strongest person he knew. There was nothing she couldn’t do to protect not only him, but Astrid, Nufflink, Zephyr, Jack, Rapunzel, Elsa, everyone. He was thankful for his family, for Toothless, Jack and Rapunzel, but he could never picture his life without Merida.

Wait, what was he thinking? He’s thinking like he’s married to her, but he’s not! He married Astrid, had children with her, not Merida! How could he be lying here in his bed that he shared with Astrid thinking about Merida? Lusting after her? Not only was he married to Astrid, Merida is his best friend! They’ve been through thick and thin together, but he knew in his heart that he wanted Astrid! If anything, Merida was like a sister to him!

...Wasn’t she?

“Oh, my head.” Hiccup groaned as he ran his hand through his damp hair. He couldn’t think about this right now. It was too hot and he just couldn’t sleep. He just sat up in his bed, attacted his prosthetic and walked out. He walked past the kids’ room and saw Nufflink and Zephyr asleep in their beds, Zephyr snoring loudly as her drooling mouth hung open. He quietly chuckled and whispered, “Sleep tight, you two.”

He walked to the front door and opened it to the cool air blowing in. He took it in and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked out to the water, glistening as the full moon shone bright. It was there he saw someone sitting by the shoreline. Their poofed out hair made it evident on who it was.

Hiccup wanted to avoid her after the thoughts he just had. How could he look Merida in the eye after all that just plagued him? It was not only an insult to Astrid, but to Merida as well. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was betraying two of the most important people in his life with his dirty thoughts. All he wanted to do was to go back inside and climb back into his bed.

_ No _ . He thought.  _ She’s been a big help to you this whole time. You can’t just avoid her _ .

He wanted to kick that voice in his head, but it was right. Merida had been nothing more than a massive help in these past few months. He couldn’t just throw her to the side and ignore her. He pushed all that he felt aside and decided to go down and talk with her. Maybe a talk will help clear his mind. After taking a breath, he started to walk down to the water.

She was sharpening her sword while he was approaching her. He came closer and closer, the sounds of the rock scraping against the blade growing louder with each step. He felt his heart beat race as he got closer. In the back of his mind, his previous thoughts still lingered, but he had mustered up the courage to continue on.

“What are you doing up? Go back to bed.” Merida said, not turning around.

Hiccup couldn’t help but chuckle. That is such a Merida thing to do. He shook his head and said, “Can’t sleep.”

“Me neither.” She turned around, lowering her sword and said, “Come, sit with me.”

He obliged, sitting down on the same log as her. She smiled at him before she went back to sharpening her sword. He looked it over and noticed that it was different from her usual sword. This one was a bit longer and a bit thicker with a longer hilt, but the pummel was still the same. He asked her, “Is that a different sword?”

“Aye, I just had it forged.” she said as she gave it one more sharpening. She held it up and said, “I gave my old one to my brother Hamish. He’s the oldest so he deserves it.”

“I get you.” he agreed.

“Plus, the old one was getting too light for my taste. I like the feel of the weight while I swing.”

“There were a lot of memories with that sword.”

Merida sighed as she lowered her sword and said, “Aye. Some good, some bad.”

Hiccup looked up to the sky and asked, “Like the time you sliced Pitch’s stomach during the war?”

Merida smirked and asked, “Or the time I faced one of Hans’ brothers?”

“Or the time you accidentally sliced Olaf’s head off?”

Merida playfully shoved him and chuckled, “Hey, that was the first time I ever saw a talking snowman!”

“You let Marshmallow pick his teeth with that thing!” Hiccup laughed.

“And that time Anna pulled it from my sheath when we were out in the Enchanted Forest and was thrown off balance!”

“And when we had to rescue Eugene from the Stabbington Brothers!”

“Which time?”

They both began to laugh out loud, the air echoing with their laughter. Their memories brought back so many good feelings that neither of them had felt since Astrid’s passing. They felt like teenagers again, like their lives have restarted. After a moment, they calmed down and Hiccup cleared his throat.

“I-I think we woke some people up.” he commented.

Merida shrugged and looked out to the water with Hiccup. Her smile never faded but she asked him, “Where did all of those years go?”

Hiccup glanced over to her and replied, “We all had to grow up, Merida. It’s a sad fact.”

She looked over at him and said, “That may be so, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go on our adventures again.”

Hiccup’s smile faded and said, “I’m chief, you’re becoming a queen, Rapuznel too and Jack’s with Elsa in Northuldra. Things aren’t simple anymore, Merida. We all had to grow up at some point and take on responsibilities.”

Merida’s smile finally seeped away and she nodded softly. She looked back out to the water and said, “I guess. But still, it brings you back though.”

“Yeah.” Hiccup sighed. Then he had a thought and asked her, “If you could go back, would there be anything that you would have done differently?”

Merida took a deep breath. She knew exactly what she would have done differently. She would have told him what she felt about him. It wouldn’t even matter if he turned her down, he would have at least known and then she wouldn’t have gone these years with this bottled up. What could she do now? Tell him? She couldn’t, not with his wife recently passing. If she could go back to when they were all in their late teens, she would have told him. He may have still chosen Astrid over her, but that’s okay because even then she knew Astrid would have taken care of him. And if Hiccup chose Merida over Astrid, then they wouldn’t have had Zephyr and Nufflink. Merida loves those two like they were her own, she didn’t even want to think of a life without them.

Merida didn’t tell him anything, she just stood up and began to walk off. Hiccup said nothing, but he was left in utter confusion. Why didn’t she say anything? What was she hiding from him?

_ I don’t know _ . He thought.  _ But, it must be tough on her. I won’t push her _ .

As Merida walked off into the trees, far from where she left him, she began to tear. She wiped her eyes, but they just kept flowing. She kept trying but it was no use. Then, she collapsed and began to sob loudly.

“I’m sorry!” she cried out. “I didn’t mean for this to happen! Please forgive me, Astrid!”

The wind picked up and it blew through the trees around her, but she didn’t notice. She quietly repeated in her sobs, “Forgive me.”

“Forgive you for what? Taking care of my family?”

Merida gasped. It could be she was just hearing things, but it was clear as day. She slowly looked up to see the feet standing before her. She gasped so hard she choked. She looked up to the rest of the person and felt the world grow cold around her.

“Astrid?”

Astrid smiled and said, “Get up, Mer. You never fell to your knees before, don’t start now.”

“But...But…” Merida started to cry harder. She watched Astrid softly shake her head at her, a smile still on her face. Once Merida caught her breath, she asked, “Am I dreaming?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” Astrid replied. She waited until Merida stood up to tell her, “I wouldn’t enter Valhalla until I know my family is okay. I’ve been here ever since you’ve arrived and I can tell they’re in perfect hands.”

“But I still don’t understand.” Merida sobbed. She wiped her eyes as she asked, “Why-Why are you here? Why aren’t you with Hiccup?”

Astrid smirked and said, “Don’t worry, I deal with him in a bit. It’s you I wanted to talk to.”

“About what?”

“About what you said to Elsa.”

Merida’s blood ran cold and her hands tingled. She was terrified of what Astrid was going to tell her, but she had to prepare herself anyways. Hiccup was Astrid’s so she knew that she was going to be cursed for her words.

Astrid stepped up to her and asked, “Did you mean what you said?”

Merida sealed her eyes shut and softly nodded.

“All this time?”

Merida nodded again.

Astrid sighed and said, “Well, this is quite the predicament.”

Merida coughed a sob, but she was ready for Astrid’s words.

“Now I feel guilty.”

Merida opened her eyes and gave Astrid a confused look. She asked her, “W-What do you mean?”

Astrid smiled back at her and said, “I took him from you. Merida, I am so sorry-”

“No!” Merida cut her off. She calmed for a moment when she told Astrid, “No, he was yours. He loved you, not me! He married you, had a family with you!”

“A family that could have been yours.”

“No, Astrid! I would never take what you had away from you! I love you! You’re my sister! I wanted what was best for you!”

Astrid was dumbstruck by Merida’s words. Never once had Merida ever yelled at her like this. She must have looked shocked because Merida went from angry to concerned in the blink of an eye. Though she looked away, Astrid smiled.

“Look at me, Merida.” Though she was hesitant, Merida did look back up at her. Astrid told her, “You are my best friend. You are my sister. I love you just as much as I love Hiccup, Zephyr and Nufflink. You are my family, but I have to tell you, you can be thick headed sometimes.”

Merida softly shook her head and looked at Astrid out of confusion.

“Merida, I’m not here anymore. I can’t take care of my family, I need someone to do that.”

Merida felt her tears water again. She told Astrid, “But he doesn’t feel the same about me.”

“You don’t know unless you try. Right, honey?”

Merida was now even more confused, until Astrid turned and she looked past her. Hiccup was standing right there. His wide eyes were fixed on Astrid and his mouth was agape. Astrid just smiled at him. He stood stunned for a moment until He finally found the strength to run and embrace her. She chuckled and held onto him. Merida couldn’t hold back her smile, but she felt the slight twinge in her chest as he held onto Astrid.

Hiccup took a breath and said, “If I’m dreaming...don’t let me wake up.”

Astrid rubbed his back and told him, “No, love. This is real.”

He looked up and asked her, “How...How is this possible?”

“I told the Valkyries that I wanted to wait just a little while longer. There was something I needed to be sure of.” Astrid turned to Merida and held her hand out. Merida was scared to take it, afraid that if she did, she’d wake up and this whole thing was a dream. But, she took it anyway and it felt so real. Astrid pulled her closer and took Hiccup’s hand. She then linked Hiccup and Merida’s hands together. Looking back at Hiccup, she said, “Honey, Merida has something she needs to tell you.”

“Wait, what?” Merida gasped. She panickedly looked back and forth between Hiccup and Astrid, Astrid looking at her with a smile as Hiccup just looked on confused. She fixed her eyes on Astrid and said, “No, I can’t do this! He doesn’t need to-”

“Yes, he does.” Astrid stopped her. She looked back at Hiccup and said, “Hiccup, I’ve been keeping an eye on you ever since my passing. When Merida returned to DunBroch, you were lost, alone, scared. Then she came back and you were happy again. Face it, you need her by your side now.”

Hiccup felt his heart race. It was almost like she was reading his mind. Still, he didn’t know how to respond. His wife was just insinuating that him and Merida were supposed to stay together, and yet here she stands before him. Could it be possible that she could return?

Before he could ask, she told him, “Hiccup, my time is now. There is a seat waiting for me in Odin’s hall. You and I will be reunited on high, but for now I need someone to take care of you and the kids.” Astrid turned to Merida, smiled contently and said, “And the one I trust the most is right in front of you.”

Hiccup looked over to Merida, who had turned back to him. Her eyes showed remorse, guilt, sorrow, but why? What was she hiding from him?

Astrid placed her hand on Merida’s shoulder and said, “Tell him. He needs to know.”

Hiccup’s chest hurt from his heart beating so fast as him and Merida locked eyes. Whatever she was hiding, he did need to know. Whatever it was, he would listen. She was his best friend and he vowed they’d stick together to the end and beyond.

Finally, Merida spoke, “I want you to know that I love you both and that I wanted the best for you. But Hiccup, I can’t betray Astrid.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” Hiccup asked.

Merida sobbed, “My heart...it always belonged to you.”

Hiccup felt cold. He didn’t just hear that. This all had to be a dream, none of this was real. He hoped that any second now, he’d wake up at all of this was just a nightmare. He’d wake up and Astrid was still alive and Merida was merely just his best friend. He could go about his days with his wife and he didn’t have to live with the fact that he spent all these years unknowingly breaking Merida’s heart. He just kept begging Odin to wake him up.

Who was he fooling?

All of this, it was real. Astrid had indeed returned from Asgard and Merida had confessed to him. How could he be so foolish? All this time, even though he might not have known it, he was hurting Merida. All the time gushing over Astrid, he couldn’t picture the pain she must have been feeling. He felt like he was rubbing it in her face. How could he be so selfish?

“Merida…” he choked, his hands beginning to tremble. “I am so, so sorry.”

Merida sniffed and smiled, “It’s okay. I know how much you loved Astrid.”

“No, not that. I’m sorry that I put you through all of this.”

Merida was about to scold him, thinking that he was going to say that he would have picked her over Astrid, but Astrid cut her off, knowing that Merida was not furious.

Astrid held her hand up and said, “But now it is time to make amends.”

Both Hiccup and Merida looked at Astrid, waiting for her to continue.

Astrid said to Hiccup, “Hiccup, my mighty Dragon King, my darling husband, you have a big heart. There’s room for the both of us. I’m not saying that when I leave you two have to get married, but I know she can take care of you and the kids. I mean, they love her. All I’m asking is will you at least give it a try? Can you give her a chance?”

Hiccup looked back at Merida, who desperately stared at him. Before he could answer, he asked Astrid, “And you wouldn’t be upset?”

Astrid shook her head and asked, “I’m asking you to take her, aren’t I?”

Hiccup looked back at Merida, looking once again into her eyes. She wanted him.

“I...I want to try.”

Before either one of them could say anything, Astrid said, “I mean it. If you decide you want a future with her, I want you to take care of her just like she’s been taking care of you.”

“Astrid…” Merida chuckled. The two women looked at each other and Merida told her, “We both know he can hardly take care of himself. I’ll have to take care of both of us.”

Astrid smiled, patted her on the back and said, “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

As Hiccup and Merida looked back at each other for a moment. Hiccup was nervous, afraid that he’d ruin what he had with her, but there was also the thought of something more. He won’t know until he tries and he was willing to. The look of relief and content on Merida’s face spoke volumes. If her heart truly belonged to him, then he wanted to make sure that he took good care of it.

“Tell the kids I love them.”

Hiccup and Merida turned to face Astrid, but she was gone. They both knew that she had finally ascended to Valhalla.


End file.
